In her first six months on the San Jose City Council, Devora “Dev” Davis has earned a solid “A” from many of her District 6 constituents for her listening skills.

When it comes to execution, however, her report card looks promising but is still incomplete.

During her campaign last year, Davis said she would work to get more community service officers hired to help shoulder such tasks as investigating property crimes and preparing reports so patrol officers can focus on serious crimes like assaults and homicide.

She also promised to engage with and empower neighbors through a mix of community meetings, public outreach and information campaigns.

Though she can’t take credit for it because the wheels were already in motion, the city in April swore in 27 new police officers–its largest police academy class in four years. And in May about two dozen more community service officers graduated.

Meanwhile, a group of Rose Garden neighbors working with the city to close off an access path on their cul-de-sac street frequently used by criminals as an escape route praised Davis for arranging meetings and working closely with them and city staff.

“Councilmember Davis has been responsive to listening to our concerns,” said Rosecrest Terrace resident Armando Lopez. “In our particular situation, we are looking forward to working with Councilmember Davis and her staff to enhance the safety of our community.”

And in March, Davis arranged a meeting with Willow Glen Residents for Traffic Calming Measures and Safer Streets, a group formed by neighborhood residents earlier this year in an effort to curb speeding vehicles and other traffic dangers on their streets.

North Willow Glen resident Ryan McGovern, who helped form the group, praised Davis’ “receptiveness to listening to everybody’s concerns and treating them as valid and important,” including the idea of crowdfunding for new radar speed signs.

“I would give her really high marks on that,” McGovern said. Although Davis is making a significant effort to connect with residents, McGovern said he’s not ready to render final judgment on her performance.

“I haven’t seen anything tangible (from the meeting) as a result other than knowing she is listening to our concerns,” he said. “And, I would imagine, advocating for her neighborhoods when it’s possible. I also understand the wheels of government move slowly. In terms of getting things done, my grade for her would be incomplete, but in terms of community engagement, my grade for her would be very high.”

McGovern’s neighbor, Long Nguyen, said he appreciates Davis for “reaching out and getting to really know her constituents” and added that District 6 is lucky to have a leader with her well-documented penchant for numbers and charts.

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“I never knew who she was,” Nguyen said in an interview. “But from what I can tell, she is a local woman who has a vested interest in our community. … She also seems to be a policy wonk, the kind person fascinated with data that most civilians like us would run away from, not run towards. Government from all levels really needs someone who’s like that. We need more policy wonks, not lawyers.”

Davis acknowledged she doesn’t “have a 100 percent satisfaction rating” but said she has been able to pull some strings for residents faster than they realize, as happened after she met with McGovern and his neighbors.

“Directly from that (meeting), I requested two additional radar speed signs in the budget,” Davis said, noting there are now more than a dozen such signs throughout the city–or more than one per district.

Davis also noted that after a Rose Garden resident recently reported “two very large and dangerous potholes” to her, she “had them repaired the following day.”

Disaster preparedness also has been on Davis’ mind, especially after Coyote Creek flooded this winter from torrential rainfall catching thousands of residents and city officials by surprise.

“It impacted 14,000 residents and we know what the scale now is to mobilize the city,” Davis said. “If we had to do that citywide, we’re not ready to do that, so that’s why I want my district and my residents to get training.”

Davis said she thinks Neighborhood Watch groups can serve as a model for creation of other groups committed to public safety causes, such as disaster readiness. She’s been suggesting the idea to residents at community meetings and working on creating a disaster response plan.

“I think they go hand-in-hand,” Davis said. “It’s important for people to be prepared and know their neighbors because that’s a big part of preparedness.

“All of those things get better when you know your neighbors,” she added. “The more you know your neighbors, the safer your neighborhood is going to be on a daily basis.”

The San Jose Police Department and Santa Clara County District Attorney Community Prosecution Unit are presenting several workshops throughout the city on burglary prevention. One will be held Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Bascom Community Center Multipurpose Room, 1000 S. Bascom Ave.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has moved to stop assessing and collecting fees from those on probation and those seeking representation from a public defender, as well as those who are taking part in a work program instead of serving time in jail.

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the photo gallery or video on your mobile device. The city's Human Services Department in partnership with with Community Action Partnership, Communities United Committee, and the Emergency Food Providers Advisory Committee held their 27th annual Thanksgiving Dinner and coat giveaway held at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov....